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Franchise Players is Entrepreneur’s Q&A
interview column that puts the spotlight on franchisees. In
celebration of Memorial Day, we're running a series celebrating
veterans in franchising. If you're a franchisee with advice and
tips to share, email ktaylor@entrepreneur.com.

Nick Colgin knows every possible side of caregiving. While
deployed in Afghanistan, he earned a Bronze Star for saving the
life of a French soldier that had been shot in the head and
helped rescue 42 Afghan villagers from a flooding river. Then,
after rocket propelled grenade hit his Humvee, Colgin learned the
other side of caregiving when he needed assistance to walk, write
and even struggling to speak. Today, Colgin helps others in a new
way: as a franchisee for Right at Home, a home care franchise.
Here's what he's learned over the years about caregiving and
franchising.

After having served in the military, I felt that a franchise had
a lot of similarities to that of the military. In the military,
we had Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). A franchise comes
with its own SOPs. Basically, all the tools and resources are
there, it’s up to you to use them in a manner to be successful.
The best part though, is unlike the Army, I don’t have to do
pushups if I make a mistake because I own the franchise.

Following leaving the military, I fell into a position at Iraq
and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) after I was fortunate
enough of having President Obama tell my story in a speech to the
nation. So there I was, a small town Virginia boy, living in
Manhattan and working on veteran issues for the first and largest
nonprofit for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. Because it was a
nonprofit, I had a number of jobs ranging from speaking in major
media, fundraising major gifts, working on corporate
partnerships, but above all, spending time with veterans.

Why did you choose this particular franchise?

It was an easy choice to pick Right at Home. Of all the home care
franchises, they seemed to be the most innovate and focused on
quality. I often times find myself comparing them to being the
Apple of the home care industry. And at the end of the day, doing
the right thing and having a core system of values was important
to me. The Army had strong values, IAVA had strong values, and I
do a lot of things in my life, such as guiding blind people up
mountains, which are focused on having strong values. Right at
Home ended up having a lot of those same values.

How did your experience in the military prepare you for
franchise ownership?

I had a rather high profile career in the military, especially
during my 15 month deployment to Afghanistan as an airborne medic
with the 82D Airborne. I earned a Bronze Star for saving the life
of a French soldier that had been shot in the head. I went on to
help rescue 42 Afghan villagers from a flooding river. Then,
something unexpected happened. A rocket propelled grenade (RPG)
hit off the right side of my Humvee.

I came home unable to spell my own name, unable to walk without a
cane, and I could barely speak. I had suffered a traumatic brain
injury (TBI), the signature wound of the wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan. So I had been this helper, and needed help for the
first time in my life. It gave me a perspective on how to provide
care. And when I began working on veteran’s issues, I found out
there were delays in getting proper care to some of the older
veterans such as members of the Greatest Generation. That was my
call to action. I knew that I had to take my experience and
skills into the home care industry to care for our nation’s
seniors and disabled, veteran or civilian.

How much would you estimate you spent before you were
officially open for business?

Since I was only 28 when I took this on, there was a steep
learning curve. I did a business program for veterans through an
organization called Fullbridge, I spoke with various CEO’s in
NYC, and I used a consultant to get me through the process of
purchasing Right at Home. Throughout the entire process, I made
sure to speak with anyone I could to soak in advice. I didn’t get
through 15 months in Afghanistan without relying on my
battle-buddies to my left and right. I knew I couldn’t get
through the first year of owning a business without doing the
same.

What were the most unexpected challenges of opening your
franchise?

The largest challenges we faced when opening was picking a poor
time of the year to open, and not expecting rapid growth. While I
have owned the franchise for over a year now, we actually didn’t
open doors until later in 2013 because we had to get the proper
licenses for Massachusetts. Business was quite stagnant due to
the holidays and it was hard to get meetings with anyone at
hospitals or senior facilities.

What advice do you have for individuals who want to own
their own franchise?

Just go for it. Life is about taking chances, and this is one of
the least risky chances you can take if you are willing to put
the work in. It is such a relief being my own boss and seeing the
company grow. It also helps that we are changing lives daily and
providing life sustaining care to seniors and disabled adults in
Massachusett.

What advice do you have for other veterans who want to
own their own franchise?

If you succeeded in the military, it is easier to succeed in a
franchise system. There are a lot of parallels, and you don’t
have to go it alone. Right at Home is like the Pentagon, and I
run my division how I see fit with their support. It’s a great
relationship. And if you have any doubts, remember, you have
overcome a lot of adversity in the military and what is inside
you is stronger than anything in your way.

What’s next for you and your business?

Right now, we are just focused on growth. It has always been a
goal to gross $1 million in a year, so we are trying to push
towards that. Lastly, we are trying to leverage some of the
unused outreach methods typically found in the home care
industry. I want to leverage my youth to focus more on digital
engagement. It seems to be a wide open avenue in Massachusetts to
grow the company.